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The Composition of Succinite (Baltic Amber)

Abstract

THE chemical composition of succinite (Baltic amber), its botanical origin, and methods of distinguishing it from other fossil resins, are long standing questions1, the third of which has been largely solved in recent years by infrared spectrometry2–4. In his survey, Langenheim5 emphasizes the botanical origin and the strong hold which Conwentz's postulated amber source Pinus succinifera has had over subsequent workers. This concept has also dominated ideas of the resin's composition; recent suggestions that this largely derives from dimerized abietic acid6,7 are not persuasive.

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GOUGH, L., MILLS, J. The Composition of Succinite (Baltic Amber). Nature 239, 527–528 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/239527a0

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